ONCE UPON A DREAM;MY GRADUATION CEREMONY!

 Today, I finally attended my Graduation Ceremony for the psychotherapy course I qualified in last year - and it has been a long time coming!  From the start of Level 1 back in September 2013 to official graduation today, it's been a long 6 years of hard work, clinical practice and stress.  Today, all that effort was recognized with the pomp and ceremony of graduation.

I really enjoyed it.  I didn't think that I would and when I woke up at 6am this morning, I didn't want to go at all.  I get terrible stage fright and the idea of having to get up in front of all those people, mostly strangers, and accept my graduation scroll, was enough to trigger a significant amount of anxiety.  

Add to that the fact that parts of my home city have been severely flooded for over a week, which meant that there was a chance the event would have to be cancelled, and my stress levels were high before I'd even got out of bed!  I found myself wondering if that is how brides and grooms feel on the morning of their wedding day - like it's all just too much trouble and they really wish they didn't have to be arsed with it! 

But the weather forecast wasn't terrible, the event was going ahead as planned and my ceremonial cap, gown and photography were already paid for and waiting for me at the venue. So I gave myself a shake and got ready in the new pink and black dress I'd already bought for the occasion.  

I knew my mother was looking forward to the ceremony and I didn't want to disappoint her, so off we went.  And in truth, it was so much more fun than I had expected it to be!  I actually had a great time.  It was lovely to see my old class mates again and to acknowledge each other's victory in graduating.  As it turned out, from the 18 of us that began the course, only 4 of us were left in at the finish to graduate today.  That's it. Just us four.  So it felt even more significant that we'd made it thus far and we wanted to support each other, as it wasn't just me with stage fright and nerves.

The en-robing ceremony was quite fun.  It felt a bit like Downton Abbey and being dressed by a ladies maid.  I wasn't altogether averse to it.  Plus, once in my robes, I felt like I was going to Hogwarts, which is always a good thing!  From the Robes room we were shepherded into the photography studio, where there was a stunning library for a backdrop.  It was very nerve-wracking having official photographs taken while a long line of other graduands were all waiting for their turn and watching on, but I just tried to smile through the trauma of it and block them out of my thoughts.  After all, it would be their turn soon enough and then they would be the ones being stared at, so we were all in the same boat.  

From the official photography studio, we were allowed to go outside in our robes for unofficial photos, which are the ones I've shared here on my blog and on Twitter etc.  Again, I was nervous and shy about going out looking like Hermione Granger, but I needn't have worried because one of the nicest parts of the day was the well-wishes and congratulations of complete strangers.  People who were just going about their day, doing their Christmas shopping, were stopping to congratulate me on my achievement and graduation - even a homeless man who has his own troubles to preoccupy him, took the time to say congratulations and to wish me well for the future.  I was touched by all the kindness.  It helped to put me at ease and to feel like less of a prat swanning around town in black cap and gown on a random Friday morning. It was lovely. 

But the main event was still to come in the afternoon - the ceremony itself.  As we took our seats, our family members sitting separately from graduands, we began to savor the significance of the day.  Students were graduating from all kinds of course subjects, from engineering and construction management, to health & social care, and my own therapeutic counselling course.  It was more interesting that I expected it to be.  

I'm not going to lie, when it was time for us to get up and prepare to walk across and accept our scrolls, my stress levels were through the roof and I was on the wrong side of the pleasure/pain principle!  But they called out my full name, which gave me a moment to breath (I have two middle names, which buys a bit of time - I highly recommend it!) and the walk of acceptance wasn't so bad.  In fact it was over in exactly 23 seconds - my Mum filmed it and timed it.  So yeah, six years and 23 seconds and that was that - time to party! 

Graduation Ceremony over, we were taken to the Ballroom for champagne and dainty cakes.  The relief swept over me in a huge wave.  The nerves subsided at last; I could finally relax and stop worrying that I'd trip over my own feet, rip the gown (or worse - going to the loo in one is No Easy Task! This is why brides have bridesmaids!), or throw up from stage fright.  It was over - all the hard part was done and now I could enjoy myself with my mother and friends.  I may have had more than one glass of champagne - I think I'd decided at that point to let my hair down and make the most of it.  Afterwards we went out for a meal and drank a little more giggle-juice and now I'm back home, reflecting on the day for you guys.

It was fun.  So much so that I am already looking forward to doing it all again in two years time for my Masters Degree!  I'm enjoying my classes so far and have attended some fantastic seminars because of my current university course.  Just this week I met the author of Throw Me to the Wolves, Patrick McGuinness, who is not only a lecturer at Oxford, but is now also our new Visiting Professor at university, so he'll be coming to teach us every now and then.  

I'm very excited about this as it's the closest I'll ever get to an Oxford University education - being tutored by an Oxford Fellow.  He's such an inspiring man and he even signed my book for me, which was just lovely of him.  I look forward to my Masters classes each week and the seminars too and now, fingers crossed, I am looking forward to graduating with a Masters Degree in the future as well.  Some small part at the back of my Bruce-press-ahead brain is even daring to whisper the letters PhD to me - but I'm telling it firmly to hush up!  One Degree at a time is quite enough, thank you!

If you too have graduated this autumn or achieved something you've wanted and worked towards for a long time, I just want to say congratulations to you.  It's not easy sticking with a long course that takes years to complete, so well done and I hope that you have enjoyed your own celebrations as much as I have enjoyed mine.
One thing no-one ever tells you is this - graduation is exhausting! - so I'm going to climb into bed and have an early night.  I've earned it and I need to recover in time for my birthday next week! 
Blessed Be.
Marie x